Dubai, United Arab Emirates – On December 4, 2024, the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute’s (AHRI) Middle East/North Africa (MENA) office welcomed more than 30 executives from leading regional and international member companies to its meeting, “Convening HVACR Leaders: Shaping the Future of the Industry.” This exclusive summit provided a platform for industry leaders to determine the next steps in shaping the HVACR industry's future in the region amid rapid growth, environmental shifts, and regulatory changes.

During the event, AHRI shared two significant announcements to strengthen industry activities in the Gulf region: Thanks to a partnership between AHRI and GCC LAB, a new certification testing lab will be established in Dammam, Saudi Arabia. The facility’s location will drastically cut the costs associated with shipping equipment for certification testing, making AHRI’s globally recognized programs more accessible to manufacturers. In addition, AHRI will collaborate with DMG Events and ASHRAE RAL to launch a new expo, “HVACR World,” with the inaugural show scheduled for November 2025 in Dubai, UAE.

These developments will enhance AHRI’s ability to help the HVACR industry in its ongoing collaborations with regional governments and regulatory bodies as they pursue energy and environmental goals, including the refrigerant transition, the adoption of energy efficient technologies, and technician training and workforce development.

In remarks to attendees, AHRI President and CEO Stephen Yurek appealed for thoughtful environmental policies, stating that, “For environmental policies to be successful they must be attainable – not aspirational - and they must be economically justified and based on a sound assessment of current and future needs, supplies, and demands.” Yurek was joined in leading the meeting’s discussion by AHRI Senior Vice President of Global Services Henry Hwong, and AHRI MENA Managing Director Nabil Shahin.